Remarketing is the secret weapon of successful Australian small businesses because it focuses your budget on people who have already shown interest in your brand. By staying top-of-mind with strategic follow-up ads, you can significantly lower your cost-per-acquisition and turn 'window shoppers' into loyal customers.
Why Remarketing Matters for Your Business
In the digital landscape, most first-time visitors to your website won't buy or enquire immediately. They might be comparing prices, checking your ABN, or simply getting distracted by a phone call. A well-structured remarketing funnel ensures that when they are ready to make a decision, your business is the one they remember.Prerequisites: What You’ll Need Before Starting
Before you dive into the steps, ensure you have the following ready:- A Website with Traffic: You need at least 100 active users in a list for most platforms to serve ads.
- Google Tag Manager or Global Site Tag: Installed on your website.
- Meta Pixel (formerly Facebook Pixel): Installed and tracking events.
- High-Quality Creative: A mix of images, videos, and compelling copy.
- A Clear Offer: Something to entice people back (e.g., a discount, a free guide, or a testimonial video).
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Step 1: Define Your Funnel Stages
Don't treat all visitors the same. A successful funnel categorises users based on their intent.- Top of Funnel (Awareness): People who visited your homepage but left quickly.
- Middle of Funnel (Consideration): People who viewed specific service pages or added items to a cart.
- Bottom of Funnel (Conversion): People who reached the checkout but didn't finish, or previous customers you want to upsell.
Step 2: Install and Verify Your Tracking Pixels
You cannot remarket without data. Log in to your Google Ads account and Meta Events Manager.- Google Ads: Go to Tools & Settings > Shared Library > Audience Manager. Set up the Google Ads Tag.
- Meta: Go to Events Manager > Data Sources and ensure your Pixel is 'Active'.
Step 3: Create Custom Audiences in Meta
Navigate to the 'Audiences' section in Meta Ads Manager. Select 'Create Audience' > 'Custom Audience' > 'Website'.- Create a 'General Visitor' list (all visitors in the last 30 days).
- Create a 'High Intent' list (people who visited your 'Contact Us' or 'Pricing' page).
- Pro Tip: Exclude people who have already converted by creating an audience of 'Thank You' page visitors.
Step 4: Build Remarketing Lists in Google Ads
In Google Ads Audience Manager, click the plus (+) button to create a 'Website Visitors' list.- Define rules based on URLs. For example, if you are a Brisbane plumber, create a list for people who visited your 'Hot Water System Repair' page specifically.
- Set the membership duration. 30 days is standard, but for high-value Australian services with longer decision cycles, 60 or 90 days might be better.
Step 5: Segment by Timeframes
Recency is key. A user who visited your site yesterday is more likely to convert than someone who visited 25 days ago. Create 'buckets' like 0-3 days, 4-10 days, and 11-30 days. You can bid more aggressively for the most recent visitors.Step 6: Craft Tailored Ad Creative for Each Stage
This is where many Australian businesses fail. Don't show the same ad to everyone.- 0-3 Days: A gentle reminder of the benefit of your service.
- 4-10 Days: A testimonial or a 'social proof' ad showing a happy local client.
- 11-30 Days: A 'limited time' offer or a direct call to action to overcome final objections.
Step 7: Set Up Your Meta Remarketing Campaign
Create a new campaign with the 'Sales' or 'Leads' objective. At the Ad Set level, select your Custom Audience.- Warning: Ensure 'Advantage+ Audience' isn't expanding your reach too far, or you'll end up showing ads to new people instead of just your remarketing list.
Step 8: Set Up a Google Display Remarketing Campaign
Choose 'Create a campaign without a goal's guidance' > 'Display'.- Under 'Targeting', select 'Audience Segments' and choose the website visitor lists you created in Step 4.
- Use 'Responsive Display Ads' so Google can automatically optimise your headlines and images for different Australian news sites and blogs.
Step 9: Implement Frequency Capping
Nobody likes being stalked across the internet. In your campaign settings, set a frequency cap.- Recommended: Limit impressions to 2-3 per user per day. This keeps you visible without becoming annoying.
Step 10: Launch and Monitor
Once your ads are live, monitor the 'Frequency' and 'CTR' (Click-Through Rate) metrics.- If your frequency is too high (above 10 over a week), your audience might be too small or your budget too high.
- If your CTR is low, your creative might be stale.
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Pro Tips for Australian Small Businesses
- Use Local Landmarks: If you're targeting Brisbane, use images that look like Brisbane. Local familiarisation builds trust faster than generic stock photos.
- Highlight Your ABN/Local Status: Australians value supporting local. Mentioning "Family-owned Brisbane business" in your remarketing copy can boost conversion rates.
- Cross-Platform Synergy: Someone might find you on Google Search, but see your remarketing ad on Facebook. Ensure your branding is consistent across both.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Remarketing to Converted Customers: There is nothing more frustrating than seeing a '20% off' ad for a product you just bought at full price. Always exclude your 'Converted' audience.
- Too Small an Audience: If your list has fewer than 100 people, your ads won't run. Focus on driving more 'cold' traffic first.
- Weak Landing Pages: Don't send remarketing traffic to your homepage. Send them back to the specific service page they were looking at.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
- Ads aren't showing: Check your audience size in Google/Meta. If it says 'Too Small', you need more website traffic or a longer duration (e.g., change from 30 days to 90 days).
- High Cost per Click: Remarketing is usually cheaper, but if costs are high, check your 'Relevance Score' (Meta) or 'Ad Quality' (Google). Your ad might not match the page the user previously visited.
- Tag Errors: Use the 'Google Tag Assistant' Chrome extension to verify your tags are firing correctly on every page.
Next Steps
Now that your remarketing funnel is live, the next step is to optimise your landing pages to ensure those returning visitors actually convert.Need help setting up your tracking pixels or crafting the perfect ad creative? The team at Local Marketing Group can help you build high-converting funnels tailored to the Australian market. Contact us today to start growing your business with smarter advertising.